quilting, decorating, parenting, loving life

About Melissa

My name is Melissa. I am a mommy and a quilter. I love camping, READING, playing guitar, SEWING, singing in the shower, going for walks, and having a cocktail or two now and then. I started quilting about 11 years ago as a way to hang out with my Mom and my Aunts. They would have quilt outings and get-a-ways that my cousins and I were just dying to be a part of. I had graduated from college a few years before, and was always too busy with friends and parties to be very interested in family stuff. Then I married the Brooding Genius (BG) in 1998 and I was ready to settle down and rejoin family life. Much to our dismay they wouldn’t let us join their little quilt club until each of us girl cousins had made a quilt. Armed with all of my mom’s quilting equipment,(cutting board, rotary cutter, sewing machine, etc.) and her tutorial, I made a simple quilt out of 5″ squares. Yeaaaa I did it! 2 more of my cousins (Amy and Tonia) soon followed and low and behold, we were in!

It didn’t take me long to fall completely in love with quilting. We started the “Stitch and Bitch Quilt Club” and took turns hosting quilt weekends at each others homes. No husbands allowed so we could stay in our jammies all weekend and sew, eat, and chat. It lasted for about 2 years, but alas people got busy, their lives changed through divorce, moves, etc. and we stopped meeting so frequently. What didn’t change was my passion for making quilts. I went to town sewing and sewing.

I started a little business selling Prim decor and quilts. It was called Cornbread and Beans Quilting Co. I named it after my Mom’s favorite comfort meal. After a while selling quilts that I just LOVED, and always felt sad to see them go, I quit selling my quilts. I just couldn’t bear to part with them after such hard work. So now I am turning to a new venture…designing my own patterns. It’s much easier to part with patterns than it is a quilt!

Nearly 6 years ago now, the BG and I got the most crazy unexpected gift. A friend of our’s asked us to adopt his two little girls Patience, now 11 and Minate, now 8. He was dying of cancer and choose us to bless with these amazing little people. We have been a family ever since and we can’t imagine life without them.

What a wonderful couple you are to open your home to adopt those beautiful girls. I am so sad they lost their dad, but am so happy that they found you and your husband! I hope you all have a wonderful, happy life together and you are a very special person, Melissa.

Hi I foind your blog interesting. I’m from a small country town north of Toronto, Ont Can. I quilt as well as rug hook. I love your projects. Making gingerbread man and your stockings with glitter. How do you was muslin? I wasn’t quite sure what you ment.

Hi Missy, your Dad got me to your site. I love it! All those quilts and our firt pictures of your girls. And your singing, have you recorded yet? Love comes through every picture, word, and sound on the site. Your Mom and Dad are so proud. I quilt also, but nothing like you guys, I have to knit, crochet, sew clothes, garden, so many projects, so many ideas, time flying by!! Remember our Terri? now its Terri and Luke, Ivan 4, Summer 2. And they camp in an OLD VW camper bus. Waitin to hear from you. Betty

i just put up the sig block swap link on my blog and was going thru your blog – wow, what a fun, sweet person you are! 1 – you are absolutely gorgeous and 2 – what a gift your daughters are! so glad i’ll get to know you thru this swap – i bet you and i would be great friends! ☺

As I read the blurb all about you, I was sat here thinking ‘now this is a blog I want to follow’ same age as me, loves quilting, reading, walking etc.
Then you threw in the bombshell of the 2 gorgeous girls and I got a lump in my throat and threatened tears in my eyes.
You are truely an amazing person and BG is too.
I will now sign you up on my blog as one to watch.
Thank you for making me feel good about life. Kathryn from New Zealand

Hello Melissa
What a darling girl you are. I would happily make you my fourth daughter, and then I’d have two daughters who were quilters.
I am semi-retired, live on the Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia) and work part-time on Down Under Quilts magazine.
I’d love to join the next signature quilts swap thjat you are planning.
Cheers
Lorraine

Hi Lorraine! Thank you so much for making my day with your sweet comment! It must be facinating to work on a quilt magazine. Those are all my favorite things, writing , reading, and quilting!! I would love to have you in on our next swap. It will probably be a few months before we do another, it’s actually a little bit of work to do one! LOL Take Care, your 4th daughter Melissa =)

Melissa…OMG would you consider adopting me???? You rock sistah….I cant even imagine the smile on Gods face for what you & your wonderful BG have done. Im in awe.
I just asked Miss Libby if shed consider suggesting an easy beginners table runner or even smaller…LOL for this Scaredy Kat wanna be quilter.
I love your blog, what an amazing spirit you have. Thanks for slapping me with some inspiration to want to be better in all I do.
Peace & plenty to you my friend…(((Kat)))

I belong to a Stitch and Bitch group. We have been getting together since 1990. We try to get together at least once a month. People get busy and their lives change. Our group has expanded & contracted but you know, we still need girlfriends and we still need to vent.

If you are ever in the Washington Metro area, give me a yell and you can come to our S&B.

Dear, Dear Melissa,
I so enjoyed your story and thank you so much for sharing. Your sweet manner came right through as if you were sitting here telling me your story over a glass of wine. Tears began to fall toward the end, I couldn’t hold them back anymore. God Bless you my dear!
If you are ever in my part of the world, or want to make it a destination, I’d love to host you and your family. Here’s my blog, which I just started, so that you can see where I live and hopefully we can stay in touch. This is the BEST thing about blogging amongst quilters.
Here ya go! http://www.cumberlandislandquiltchick.com
XO Sandra

You are truly a giving woman and have a beautiful family! Best of luck to you as I know you feel blessed! I used to quilt before I became disabled and viewing your blog adds to my enjoyment in seeing what others are doing! It was so encouraging to see your pretty girls at the sewing machine! I will “stop by” often with my cup of coffee and enjoy your writings and photos! Thank you, Melissa!

I found you through Primitive Quilts and Projects and was very intrigued with your blog. Have been here for about a half hr. now and just loving it! Bless you for adopting those two beautiful girls…what a joy they must be; and your friend must have been able to pass in peace, knowing that you were taking them into your home and your hearts.
Merry Christmas!!

I am so happy I came across your blog. I love it. I think you are such a wonderful person. God bless you for adopting these beautiful girls. Their smiles say so much. You are one talented woman. I love what you did with your craft room and your decor and the things you make are just beautiful. I have always wanted to learn to quilt and sew and I just bought a sewing machine a few years ago but I wasn’t very good at it. I need some more lessons because I just want to create so badly. Anyway, I’m glad I stopped by here. I look forward to reading more of your blog. Following you now on Pinterest too. Have a great day!

Hi Melissa,
I could not comment on one of your posts for some reason so I am leaving you one here to let you know that I added a post on my blog about your pin cushion tutorial. I finished mine, but it is not finished quit like yours because I filled with crushed shells so I sewed the edge shut instead of the slit in the back. I think yours looks a lot neater the way you finished it. It was a fun tutorial, thank you so much for sharing!

Melissa, I just happened upon your site through a Pinterest pin. I’m so glad to have found it. I am a vintage camper junkie and love your post on your rehab. I’m in the process of re-doing a 72 Frolic. If you get a minute check it out on my blog. AKA – the Pink Paradise. Your sewing is beautiful. Wished I had those talents – I won’t tell you how many hours it took me to make curtains for the camper – lol! Thanks for sharing!!!!

This is a bit late.But I just found your Blog.Your Quilts are wonderful.
I must say,I was curious about the situation with your lovely daughters.But when I read how you came to be their parents.I was stunned.It was wonderful how that happened and so Honerable.Im certain you didnt do it to be Honerable,but you two must have Loved your friend.
Those little girls were Blessed.Sorry they had to loose their Dad,but God sure made a way.
They are smiling and Happy.
Your House is really beautiful too.

What a great couple you should be!!!, I can only imagine that daddy trying to figure it out who could deserve that precious gift!!! my kids are also adopted, and your story has melted my heart away and made think about God says on psalm 27:10, He sures will always take his kids in!!!!

I love the red and white quilt and would love the see the finished top. i would also like to know what the name of the Judy Neimeyer pattern you used in the center, I found this site through Quilting Board and I’m glad I did. I would love to duplicate the red and white quilt.

Today I see a table runner of your on 24 Blocks and she mentions that shE found the pattern on your site. I would like to have his pattern if still available for our church’s quilting group to make some. Would you still have it to share, please?

what a wonderful family you have! And you and BG(snickering, love it)have big hearts! I love your page! Beginner quilter I am, or intermediate. I love making everything. I strongly think you’d love my family too.

Hi Melissa, I just happened upon your blog and was loving your post “Shasta Love.” So precious! I have always dreamed of doing a camper makeover like this.Would you mind if I shared a few of your photos on my blog?

I am desperate to find a pattern that was pinned on Pinterest for a quilt with a line of sailboats around the 2/3rds mark of the quilt. I have spent an hour searching through your blogsite. Can you send me the link?

Hi Melissa,
I wanted to thank you for sharing the baby sailboat quilt you made on Pinterest. We are expecting our first Grandchild and used your quilt as the inspiration/copy to make for our little one, We changed the sailboats for whales and then I added plenty of mistakes, all my own. I do write a blog, but I did give your credit for our inspiration! If you want to see it you can find it at newlifeoldfarm.com
Thanks again

Just found your blog via Pinterest, I sat and scrolled through all of your old posts and just fell instantly in love with what you have created and am now a Follower. I plan to make both of the quilts that you have posted tutorials for. My husband was raising two of his stepsons from his first marriage, I joined the mix when the boys were teenagers, now 26 years later they are still as much part of us if we were their biological parents. Quilters have huge hearts. Thank you for sharing all of your talents.

I love it!! I would really like to do what you are doing! I love all the old campers and the way that you are decorating them is awesome!! Love your 2 girls, I have 2 boys!! Oh and I collect quilts also…one of my favorite places (not just because my besties live there, is Lancaster, PA).

Found your blog via Pinterest because of your little camper reno. We have a 5th wheel in a seasonal lot up in little town of Fremont, Michigan. Actually live in the Grand Rapids area. Our camper was a complete surprise with a whale of a deal. Although it is in great shape would love to tackle adding my own style which mirrors yours. Love what you have done with your Shasta and can’t wait to be inspired by your new acquisition. Are you a fellow Michigander?

Your girls are beautiful. I am also involved in a non profit ministry that works in Haiti, the DR, and West Africa. Made several trips and completely fell in love with the children of Haiti. I read your story, but wondered if they were adopted originally from overseas.

Hello Melissa! Your story is incredible and your family is so beautiful!! I saw in a previous post that you were selling your camping trailer in the spring. I am incredibly interested! My sister and I are planning a cross country trip and it would be the perfect cozy little space! if it is still available please contact me, I would love to find out more! If not, it is adorable and your work is amazing!! Best of luck with everything :)

Welcome!

I'm Melissa. I'm so happy you stopped by to read what's been up in my world lately. I post about my quilting and home decorating adventures as they happen. Please feel free to leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you!

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